The owners of Alyeska ski resort in Girdwood have been expanding their local footprint, and have ambitious plans for growth in the near future.
Canadian hospitality company Pomeroy Lodging bought the resort in 2019. Last year they opened a luxury Nordic spa, which they say has been immensely successful, and this summer they opened the Veilbreaker Skybridges attraction. The resort also recently completed 71 staff housing units.
And in the coming years, Pomeroy plans to construct what they’re calling “the village at Alyeska,” a sprawling compound consisting of retail, recreational, and living spaces. In a presentation to the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Pomeroy Development Manager Willam Laurie said the workforce housing in the planned facility will be open to other Girdwood workers, not just Alyeska employees.
“So this is really meant to be for the community, expanding on the availability of rental housing,” Laurie said. “And we will build some of the most affordable for rent units within Girdwood in this space.”
The mountain resort town about 40 miles southeast of downtown Anchorage has been experiencing an ongoing housing shortage. A proposed housing development there fell through early this year.
Laurie said that the condos in their planned village would provide more affordable housing options. The ground floor of those complexes will be for retail space, Laurie said, and will be open to local small businesses. The village will also include a new daycare facility, conference center, and covered ice rink. Longer term, Pomeroy wants to buy land near Glacier Creek to build single family homes.
In response to an audience question about expensive lift tickets and pricing out locals, Alyeska General Manager Kara Edwards said their goal is to be accessible to the whole community.
“We continuously are reviewing our pricing structures,” Edwards said. “Also, many of you took advantage of our early bird season pricing. That is definitely geared towards our local demographic. The reality is it is expensive to run. It is expensive to run a mountain and a resort, absolutely.”
She said to look out for occasional locals-only deals. Single day weekend lift tickets are currently going for $139.
Laurie said the first phase of the village at Alyeska construction should start in May 2025.
Michael Fanelli reported on economics and hosted the statewide morning news at Alaska Public Media.
